31st October 1981
by lostinponderland
Summary: Just a short oneshot of James and Lily's murder on the 31st October 1981.


The last night of October was a wet and windy one. Lily Potter watched out of the kitchen window as two kids dressed as pumpkins ran past a house which they did not know existed. Lily sighed wishing she was young again with none of the fears she currently had. Every day Lily feared for her family and she couldn't see five minutes into the future. She could tell James was bored being cooped up in the cottage and she knew he longed for his Invisibility Cloak. Dumbledore still had the Cloak in his possession which infuriated James more as he knew the elderly wizard could perform a perfect Disillusionment Charm.

Every morning Lily would wake up and wish that this war was a dream and that she was living with James and Harry without the constant worry of Lord Voldemort. But she knew this was no dream. A year and a half ago, her good friend Marlene McKinnon was killed by the dark wizard. Her whole family had been brutally murdered which drew everyone out of their hopefully bubble; the war was real. Lily wouldn't turn to her parents for comfort as they had both passed away and she knew Petunia would be of no help. James also faced the difficulty of having no parents to turn to for help when they had both died. James and Lily had never felt more alone. Even with the Order of the Phoenix protecting them and old Bathilda Bagshot down the road. Lily missed seeing Sirius and Remus as their usual happy selves when the Marauders were together and she even missed little Peter.

Lily finished cleaning the plates and left her wand on the kitchen counter as she went to take Harry to bed. James was making puffs of smoke appear out of the end of his wand and Harry was trying to catch them, laughing his little head off. Harry had no idea of the dancer his family were in and Lily intended to keep it that way for as long as possible. She stood in the doorway and watched as his innocent green eyes sparkled with excitement each time a puff of smoke erupted from her husband's wand. She watched as James brushed a strand of black hair out of his eyes, making a note to cut his hair even though it would grow back the next day. James' soft brown eyes met her own tired emerald ones and he nodded knowing how she was feeling.

"I'll need to take Harry up now," she said wondering if this was the last night she would say this.

James stood up to allow Lily to pick up the toddler, red hair falling over her shoulder as she did so. James stretched and yawned letting his wand fall onto the empty sofa. He watched as his wife soothed the sleepy child and he tucked a strand of her soft hair behind her ear.

"It'll be alright," James murmured bringing her into a tight embrace with Harry sandwiched between them

"I love you, James," said Lily, resting her head briefly against her husband's collarbone.

"I love you too, Lily," Lily sighed as he pressed his lips to her forehead and on top of Harry's head. "And this little tyke," James added.

"He'll be a Quidditch player just like his father."

"And we'll be there to watch him, I promise."

The couple shared a short moment of being a family before the front door burst open. James became alert like a stag and sprinted into the hall without picking up his wand. Lily didn't need to be told who it was by the look on James' face as he recognised the figure.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-"

Lily bolted up the stairs with her child knowing that in a few short moments she would lose the one she loved. Her heart ached with every step she took away from her husband.

A manic laugh came from downstairs before the flash of green light illuminating the whole of the downstairs which confirmed her worst nightmare.

"James!" she cried out in pain as she shut Harry's door. She knew she didn't have much time and she had left her wand in the kitchen.

Lily dropped Harry in the cot as she tried to barricade the door with anything she could find. Lord Voldemort would not give her a chance but she would do anything to give Harry a few more seconds. This little boy had so much to live for still and Lily felt close to tears thinking about it. But she would not cry, she would not show weakness in front of the Dark Lord or her only son. She picked up Harry again to hold onto the only thing she had left in this world. They had been betrayed but by who? Her mind jumped to Peter, their Secret Keeper. But he wouldn't do that to the Potters, would he? Anger boiled up in Lily as she figured this was the only answer. Lily cradled Harry and kissed away the non-existent tears of her brave son.

"Harry be safe, be strong," she whispered to him, tears silently falling down her cheeks now. "Mummy and daddy love you so much."

Her voice broke as she mentioned James knowing she wouldn't be able to see him again. His last words were ringing in her mind as he told her to run. But she couldn't run any further and she felt like she had let her family down and ignored her husband's dying wish.

Lily had no more time to think as the bedroom door was blasted open, sending books and rubble flying. Lily turned her back to protect Harry but she knew this would not stop the man behind her. She dropped Harry into the cot and spread her arms wide as she faced the man in the cloak.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry," she pleaded.

"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now..." the man with a snake-like face pointed his wand at her.

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead-"

"This is my last warning-"

"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy... Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, I'll do anything-" she begged trying anything to save his life.

"Stand aside – stand aside, girl-" he raised his wand higher.

Lily knew this was it. She'd given Harry as much time as she could but no one survived once the Dark Lord wanted them dead. She would protect him until the end like a mother should. Lily would see James again, she was now certain of this. She hoped with all of her heart that Harry would survive this but, as Voldemort opened his mouth, she highly doubted that.

"Avada Kedavra!" The words snaked out of Lord Voldemort's mouth and her green almond shaped eyes met his red snake eyes.

The curse hit Lily in the chest right over her heart and she let out her last breath as the room filled with the green light. Lily Potter fell like a marionette, similar to her husband, at the bottom of the cot.

Some may say that Lily Potter acted like a true Gryffindor standing up to the darkest wizard of all time. But, really, she was just being a mother.


End file.
